Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attended a defence exhibition this week.
The event showcased North Korea’s ballistic missiles, which are forbidden by U.N. Security Council resolutions that Russia and China originally supported.
Accompanied by a Chinese delegation, including a member of the Politburo, Shoigu’s visit marks the 70th anniversary of the Korean War’s conclusion, referred to as “Victory Day” in North Korea. The event also marks North Korea’s significant re-opening to the external world since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In an unprecedented occurrence, Shoigu’s tour of North Korea represents the first visit by a Russian defence minister since the Soviet Union’s dissolution. The trip was further symbolized by a letter to Kim from Russian President Vladimir Putin, presented by Shoigu, which Kim gratefully accepted.
Exhibiting Military Power and Affirming Relations
Kim Jong Un led Shoigu by demonstrating new weapons and military apparatus, including multi-axle transporter-launched ballistic missiles, amid claims from North Korea’s defence minister Kang Sun Nam that the country fully supports Russia’s “battle for justice.”
The exhibition tour signified a noticeable shift in international dynamics. Ankit Panda of the U.S.-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace remarked that the tour represented a significant departure from the norm when senior foreign officials from Russia and China were visiting.
Kim’s discussions with Shoigu centred on issues of shared concern in the struggle to preserve their countries’ sovereignty, development, and interests against “the high-handed and arbitrary practices of the imperialists” and to realize international justice and peace.
In addition to his meeting with Shoigu, Kim Jong Un also met with Chinese Communist Party Politburo member Li Hongzhong. He received a letter from Chinese President Xi Jinping, further emphasizing the strengthening ties between the three nations.
*Additional News input is taken from Reuters.
